Hot Seat Index: Rex Ryan is on the hot seat; Jeff Fisher ... isn't?

— -- The pressure to win in the NFL has never been greater.

Some owners typically want quick fixes, which isn't the best way?to build an organization of sustained winning. The best teams have stability from top to bottom.

But the NFL has always been a bottom-line business. If the head coach doesn't meet expectations in a given year, questions will arise the next year. That's just the way it is.

As we get closer to the start of the 2016 season, here's a list of names that have come up in my discussions with several personnel executives around the league?in recent weeks.

Squarely on the hot seat

Rex Ryan, Buffalo Bills

It might surprise some that Ryan, who enters his second season of a five-year deal with the Bills, has not posted a winning record in five straight seasons: one with Buffalo, four with the? New York Jets. And the Bills haven't made the playoffs since 1999, the longest playoff drought in the league.

After Ryan's first two seasons with the Jets, which included two straight AFC Championship Game appearances, he was seen as the darling of the profession. The bravado, energy, and passion was apparent, and his players clearly bought in. You couldn't find anyone who would criticize him. NFL executives also appreciated his honesty and candor.

But strapped with a declining quarterback situation in his last four seasons in New York, and with declining support within the organization, Ryan's Jets were seen as underachieving, and he was fired after the 2014 season despite receiving?a contract extension the year before.

After the 2015 season,?there were questions among league executives, fairly or not, about whether Ryan might have lost his fastball as a head coach.

Bills owner Terry Pegula has preached continuity and earlier this year signed general manager Doug Whaley to a contract extension, but if the team doesn't improve this season, Ryan's seat will get much hotter. As suggested by more than one personnel executive, it's hard for head coaches to keep their?job if they?don't make the playoffs for six straight seasons.

Warming up

Gus Bradley, Jacksonville Jaguars

Bradley enters his fourth season?with the Jaguars with a 12-36 record. Consider, however, that general manager Dave Caldwell almost dismantled the roster that he and Bradley inherited in 2013, so it was always going to take three to four years to start seeing some real improvement. Give owner Shad Khan credit for his patience with the rebuilding project, which is rare in today's NFL.

While I was?on a three-week training camp tour this summer, I polled several personnel executives about?the teams to watch this season, and several mentioned the Jaguars because of?their strong moves in free agency and the draft.

Bradley, whose contract was extended earlier this year through 2017, certainly will be on the hot seat if?the Jaguars don't win some games this season.

McCoy, who is 22-26 in his first three seasons with the Chargers, is signed?through 2017.

After a playoff victory?in his first season and?winning records in each of his first two seasons, expectations were high coming into 2015. But the Chargers?finished 4-12, losing nine of their first 11 games, and some personnel executives around the league?wondered why the team regressed so significantly.

Was it a roster issue? Bad luck with injuries? It's hard to pinpoint the exact reason, but if the Chargers go?through another tough start, the seat will get hotter, especially considering the uncertainty of the franchise in San Diego.

Colder than you think

Jeff Fisher, Los Angeles Rams

I recently asked various personnel executives why they thought Fisher hasn't been able to win consistently in his four years with the Rams, with just two winning seasons in his last 11 as a head coach, and just about everyone made it clear that he hasn't gotten it right at quarterback. That would help to explain why he has compiled a 27-36-1 record with the Rams.

During Fisher's tenure, six quarterbacks have started games:? Sam Bradford, Kellen Clemens, Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, Nick Foles?and? Case Keenum. Only Keenum is still on the roster.

Fisher, who is one of the few NFL head coaches with personnel control, is in?the final year of his contract, but he was allowed to trade up to the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft to select quarterback Jared Goff. This was a clear sign that owner Stan Kroenke still believes Fisher will return for future seasons. It's also worth noting that the team has been negotiating with Fisher on a new deal for months.

When Bob Quinn was named as Lions executive vice president and general manager, multiple league sources speculated that Quinn might replace Caldwell, who is signed through 2017, with a coaching candidate with ties to his former team, the New England Patriots. After all, Quinn and Caldwell did not know each other previously.

To Quinn's credit, however, he resisted the urge to make a change and spent some time getting to know Caldwell during his first week with the team. A league source said that both men have forged a solid working relationship since then.